gravelled & green

actual tigers

nettwerk, 2001

Mood—Light, friendly, crosss-country.

Sample: "Yardwork In November"

Thoughts— I distinctly remember picking this out of the bargain bin at Half Price Books in Cincinnati based solely on the cover art. At the time, the album ended up not being my cup of tea, but now it is one that I go to regularly when I want something pleasant and non-confrontational to listen to.

Gravelled & Green is a straight-up, mostly acoustic album with softly wrought vocals from lead singer Tim Seely. This disk has a the feel of a summer drive; while the speed and scenery may change, the whole thing feels warm and flat. There are flourishes of horns and piano, and a spacey reverb "Interlude", but for the most part it's guitars, drums, and vocals. Apparently Paul Simon praised the band at some point, and listening to "Testimony" it's easy to see the connection.

There really aren't any stand out tracks on this one, simply because the songs are similarly catchy. It's not a "great" album, meaning that it's not going to blow anyone's mind or open you up to new ideas. But it is a good album, very easy to listen to and enjoy from start to finish (something I can't say for very many albums). I mostly listen to it as I work, as it slides nicely into the background.

Recommended? Yes.

Link—myspace.com/actualtigers

Tracklist
1. Yardwork In November
2. Standing By
3. Time And Space
4. Bad Day
5. Halfway House
6. Interlude
7. Bourgeois Blues
8. Testimony
9. End Of May
10. On A Roll
11. Shades Of Brown
12. The One That Got Away